breaking news. frightening moments at a day camp near paris, france. a gunman takes young children and at least one parent hostage. this morning what finally brought that tense situation to a peaceful end. settlement. tom cruise and katie holmes reach a divorce deal just 11 days after splitting up. how did it happen so fast? who gets custody of suri? what is the former couple now saying? we'll have new details. and i freaked out. a teenager jumped from a chairlift at new jersey beach to escape an approaching storm. lucky for her she's only suffering from minor bruises

today tuesday july 10th, 2012. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm matt lauer. we're going to have much more on that tense hostage situation in france in just a couple minutes. meanwhile here at home the president is hitting the road today. >> that's right. he's headed to the battleground state of iowa to sell voters on his plan to push bush era tax rates to middle class families. mitt romney slammed the plan as something that would hurt small businesses and job creators. we'll have more on that. imagine having a problem with your air conditioning in the middle of a heat wave in the middle of the country. you call the repairman. will the repairman fix it at a

fair price. coming up, our hidden cameras surprises even experts. there's a new diet promises to have you losing weight fast. calls for unusual things like skipping breakfast and cold baths every day. does it really work? if so, why did the creator write this book under a different name. we'll ask him when he joins us. >> what's the theory behind the cold bath. >> that it speeds up your metabolism. i'm willing to try it. could you fit everything you own into 300 feet or less? the mayor of new york city is preparing to build thousands of micro apartments to deal with the housing shortage here. it's one of the hot topics we'll discuss with "today's" professionals. let's begin with a check with natalie at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with the hostage situation at a french school summer camp.

it ended where a man has been arrested after taking at least one adult and several children hostage in a town south of paris. the last of those hostages have been released. none of them was harmed. the gunman surrendered to police afterwards. officials are not comparing it to the deadly standoff in toulouse. desperate for rain. janet shamlian in arkansas. good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning to you. at least half of the nation is experiencing some form of drought right now. this is where it's taking its biggest toll, ranches, farmlands, some of which haven't seen rain in three months. it's a hungry herd. in the wake of a one-two punch ranchers like this with unusually low rainfall and record breaking heat. >> it's devastating, looks like the desert.

>> they haven't had ground this barren. she had to sell off 100 of her 250 cattle herd. >> if no significant rain comes, i'll have to go out of business. i just don't have any grass. won't be able to afford the hay prices. >> reporter: more than half the country is in a drought according to the latest government monitor, in arkansas it covers the entire state. farm equipment sits idle. there's nothing to cut and bale. in fact, the only real activity is at the sale barn packed with ranchers selling off cattle, a move experts say could raise beef prices. in a dozen years this pond has never gone dry until now. matt moved his herd to more fertile fields but he's running out of those. >> the other option is just to quit and sell out totally. hopefully we'll get rain and this can quit in two or three weeks. >> reporter: meteorologists say it would take four to six inches of rain to break the drought.

there's nothing like that on the horizon, even in the long-term forecast. natalie. >> a lot of people hurting. janet, thank you so much in arkansas. a major setback for cycling champion lance armstrong as he fights doping charges against him. armstrong's lawsuit to block the u.s. anti-doping agency from proceeding with charges was shot down by a federal judge within hours. the judge dismissed the lengthy complaint as an attempt to garner public approval in the face of charges that could strip armstrong of his record seven tour de france titles. armstrong can refile the lawsuit that claims the u.s. ada is asking unconstitutionally. let's head to wall street, mandy drury, wall street stock exchange. all eyes on spain's bailout deal this morning. good morning, mandy. >> you're exactly right. eurozone have ratified the bailout for troubled spab banks. this is an attempt to stabilize the fourth largest economy and a step in the right direction in terms of trying to contain the whole european debt crisis which

has been negatively affecting our markets. alcoa kicked off earning season with better than expected numbers and google reportedly close to paying or close to dollars it bypassed privacy settings for consumers using apple safari. back to you. >> thanks. an egyptian couple has been arrested and charged for trying to smuggle their five-month-old baby through an airport baggage skaern. screeners in united arab imgrates were stunned. the baby had no visa or passport. unbelievably paragraph in new jersey, a teen girl said she freaked out when a chairlift she was riding stopped in a thunderstorm. fearing she would get struck by lightning you see her kick off

her shoes and take a leap from the seat high above the sand. the girl got bumps and bruises but fortunately was not injured. it was her 17th birthday as well. not the way you're celebrating your birthday. >> i don't want to encourage people to do that. i might have done the same thing. that was a storm, terrible storm. i have a thing about lightning. i can understand why she did that. >> instinct kicked in. >> for savannah it would have been a frog attack, dived off. >> that strikes the same fear in me. i can relate. >> what's happening? >> we're talking about strong storms. we've got a stationary front laying across the mid-atlantic states. we're looking at heavy storms from georgia to bristol, tennessee. could be some hail, damaging winds. heavy rain right now along the gulf coast making its way into the mid-atlantic states. rainfall amounts we're looking at houston up almost an inch and a half of rain in the next 24 hours. more than an inch and three-quarters in raleigh. >> good morning.half an inch of

this is what looked like at sunrise. a nice start to the day. a mixture of sun and clouds. and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> now to the race for the white house. president obama's fight over your taxes, this as he falls behind mitt romney in the battle for political cash. chuck todd is nbc's white house correspondent and political director. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. there were a lot of issues on the ballot this december besides the names obama and romney, the future of the health care law, the size and scope of

government, but there's no issue that will have a bigger impact on more americans directly and quickly than the future of the bush tax cuts. as the campaign refs up president obama has opened a new line of attack against mitt romney trying to drive a wedge between middle class tax cuts and tax breaks for the rich. >> it's time to let the tax cuts for the wealthiest americans, folks like myself, to expire. >> reporter: the president called for a temporary extension of the tax cuts but only on households making less than $250,000 a year, saving the debate on what to do for tax cuts for wealthy americans until after the election. >> my opponent will fight to keep them in place. i will fight to end them. but that argument shouldn't threaten you. >> reporter: that opponent, mitt romney, in a radio interview slammed the president's announcement as another economic misstep. >> we just saw a terrible jobs

report last week. now to add a higher tax on job creators and small business is about the worst thing i could imagine to do if you want to kraed jobs. >> reporter: mr. obama anticipated that criticism claiming most small businesses would not see their taxes go up. >> 97% of small businesses fall under the $250,000 threshold. >> reporter: this is not a new issue for the president. he's been unsuccessfully campaigning against the bush tax cuts since he hit the campaign trail in 2008. the president's latest tax cut challenge for romney comes as mr. obama and his campaign surrogates are increasingly targeting romney over his personal wealth, accusing him of sheltering income as obama strategist robert gibbs did monday on "today." >> i think the american people deserve to know why does mitt romney have a secret bermuda corporation, a bank account in switzerland. >> in an interview airing in iowa, romney fired back. >> i realize the president's failure to actually reignite the

economy makes it hard for him to discuss his own record, so he's going to try and attack me on every personal basis he can come up w all the taxes are paid, as appropriate. all of them have been reported to the government. there's nothing hidden there. >> reporter: speaking of money on the campaign front, for the second month in a row, team romney outraised team obama, but there's an asterisk, savannah. right now obama is able to outspend romney because romney can't spend a lot of the money he's raising now until after his convention. >> chuck todd at the white house, thank you. it is 7:12. here is matt. a story a lot of people are talking about. tom cruise and katie holmes have signed off on a divorce settlement less than two weeks after holmes filed to end that couple's five-year marriage. nbc's tom llamas has details. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. we're outside katie's new apartment building where she's going to start her new life as a

single mother. for anyone thinking they were going to get an inside look into tom cruise and katie holmes during a knock-down-drag-out divorce battle, think again. the couple have gone from filing divorce to an out of court settlement, including a custody agreement for their 6-year-old daughter suri. that's tom cruise getting off a private jet in california just hours after attorneys reached a settlement in his divorce from katie holmes. in new york city holmes was all smiles in her first public outing since the agreement. in a statement her lawyer said we are thrilled for katie and her family and excited to watch as she embarks on the next chapter of her life. that chapter will include living with her 6-year-old daughter suri at this luxury apartment building in manhattan. the 33-year-old actress filed for divorce on june 28 setting off a media firestorm of speculation about the split of one of hollywood's most famous couples.

it only took 11 days for attorneys to reach a confidential settlement, possibly including the role that religion may play in suri's life. holmes was raised in the catholic church while cruise is a scientologist. in a joint statement released by the couple, cruise and holmes say we distress our respect for each belief. >> she was going to raise the issue she thought either scientology or something tom was doing was not beneficial for the child, if that was her strategy, obviously, there was a change of heart that came about quite quickly. >> reporter: with the details of the divorce behind them both stars looking ahead to a schedule this year. holmes expected to star in a new romantic comedy filming this fall. meanwhile cruise will continue filming the sci-fi thriller "oblivion."

and continue for the upcoming release. >> he delivered. when it comes to him bringing in numbers at the box office he's still a mega superstar. >> remember, you wanted this. >> reporter: now, tom cruise hasn't spoken publicly since katie filed for divorce, but his attorney did issue one final statement on the matter saying in part the case has been settled with a signed agreement. tom is really pleased we got there and so am i. matt. >> tom llamas in new york for us. thanks very much. let's get some perspective on this. star jones is a veteran legal commentator, dr. saltz a "today" show contributor. good morning. >> let's stress off the bat everything is speculation. these two are not talking. the lawyers said everything in this agreement is confidential. given that, star, this happened quickly. a lot of these high-profile divorces play out over months and years. this took 11 days. how did it happen so fast?

>> it happened because, i would assume, most of the main issues were already in a prenuptial agreement that they were going to argue over. >> financial. >> financial, division of property, spousal support, child support, and the big one child custody. they may have wanted to try to resolve a prenup but the judge would never allow that. >> the speed is shocking. if you believe earlier reports that tom cruise was somewhat blind-sided by this divorce filing just two weeks ago, he came to an agreement in 11 days. >> they did not want what we've seen over the past 11 days to play out over the next 11 months. there's nothing more ugly than a celebrity divorce. >> in the terms of public relations this is the best and smartest outcome of the couple and their daughter. >> legally it's in the best interest of the child. public relations you could not have a better outcome in and out. fourteen days, you're done. >> gayle, when it comes to custody, we don't know the

specifics of this arrangement but most courts would favor a mother with a child of this age, correct? >> most courts would. actually a child of this age to be predominantly with one parent consistently but with the other parent consistently involved is the best as opposed to moving back and forth between two houses. for a girl, being with her mother, a parent of the same sex can have advantages. >> keeping your psychiatrist hat on, as you've seen the images we've seen over the last week or so of katie holmes and suri walking out swamped and surrounded by the paparazzi, like what we're looking at right now, the impact on this versus the impact of a divorce on this child? >> they could not have done a more wonderful thing for their child or healthy thing for their child. >> settling quickly. >> settling quickly. not having it go on and on. what a child needs in the midst of a divorce is routine, predictability, familiarity, and to have a normal life.

>> were you at all surprised katie holmes was out in the public so much over these last several days and weeks with her daughter knowing the attention it would attract? >> i think probably you have to make a game plan and decide what's going to be best for the long-term. if you think you can do this quickly by doing something up front, then maybe that's the decision you're going to make. was it best for her in the short-term, probably not. but it clearly is better in the long-term. >> star, quickly, both of these are high-profile people, both will have ongoing careers, which means they both are going to be put in interview situations in the near future for projects they are working on. would you assume that any agreement between these two includes an airtight nondisclosure or confidentiality agreement. so anybody asking the questions is going to get no comment. >> matt, i can speculate about a lot of things, that's one thing i'm positive about that there's a major confidentiality agreement. we have to look at all levels of confidentiality from reality to social networking, no defamation

against each one of them. we're never going to know what happened in that marriage. >> best for the child in the long run. >> best for the child is that neither of them ever in private or public say something negative about the other parent. >> ladies, as always, thanks very much. appreciate it. it's 18 minutes after the hour. once again, here is savannah. what appears to be a money saving trend among some of the wealthiest people in america but is it fair to the rest of us? nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell explains. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. good to see you. you know the old saying nothing is certain except death and taxes? an increasing number of wealthy americans are finding their way around the taxes by renouncing their american citizenship. politically connected socialite and songwriter denise rich. >> just to be recognized by peers is wonderful. >> reporter: she's a fixture, wrote "don't waste your time"

for aretha franklin to mary j blige. as a songwriter she's worked with everyone to mandy moore. celebrities flock to her fundraisers for cancer research. >> we know this saxophone has your name on it. >> reporter: she contributed to the clinton campaign. just before bill clinton left office he caused a political storm pardoning her husband who fled prosecution for tax fraud in 1983. she has lived a jet set life. as matt saw firsthand on her yacht at cannes two years ago. >> i'm on a 15-foot yacht owned by denise rich. >> we do a big party and a lot of friends come. >> she's put it on sale, 20

rooms with view. what a view. wraparound balconies overlooking central park. rich is among 1800 americans who gave up citizenship. in order to be closer to her long time life partner as well as her family and loved ones, she made the decision to become solely an austrian citizen. u.s. senator sees a tax dodge. >> you certainly don't need to renounce your citizenship to be closer to your family. we all know the reason she's doing this. it's to avoid paying taxes. i find people despicable. >> others say let them go and focus on tax reform. >> we're going to have wealthy people leaving the country because they don't want to pay taxes. that's just don't let the door hit you on the way out of the country. >> denise is not the only american giving up their

citizenship, facebook co-founder became a citizen of singapore before the facebook ipo. if schumer gets his way they will both have to pay taxes on the riches. still ahead bieber called 911 to say he was being tailed by paparazzi. why did he use a fake last name? first, this is "today" on nbc. #f

just ahead an emotional start to the attempted murder trial of a florida teen accused of attacking a 13-year-old at her school. and our hidden camera investigation into air conditioning repairmen. the surprising results when our hidden cameras roll but first your local news. r citi thankyoud for a relaxing vacation. ♪ sometimes, we go for a ride in the park. maybe do a little sightseeing. or, get some fresh air. but this summer, we used our thank youpoints to just hang out

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ask your rheumatologist how you can defend against and help stop further joint damage with humira. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is one of our top stories this morning. the judge denies the request to dismiss the case against john leopold, meaning he will go to trial. he is charged with misusing his security detail to facilitate romantic encounters with a county employee and to run personal errands. a jury trial will begin in september. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> kind of busy out there for

motorists on the inner loop. getting word of a motorcycle accident between 95 and philadelphia road. seeing delays on southbound 95 out of white marsh towards the beltway, and southbound route 10, accident remaining. right lane closed there. linwood ave shut down between fayette and orleans due to fire department activity. 22 miles per hour in the area to the security. let's see what is going on at pulaski highway. we will switch over to a live view of traffic in the area of security. it back up extends back to 795. john has a check of the forecast. >> you saw the sunshine on the traffic cameras. 71 at the airport. barometer is rising a bit, humidity is dropping a bit.

good trend for the day. we only have a few thin clouds. there has been a rain shower activity this morning. that trend will continue and the highest rain chance this will be on the south during the day to day. east and northeast winds at 5 to 10. longer-term forecasts for the rest of the week. rest of the week. mid-80's for

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find characters, access wait times for the park you're in, and enjoy premium features when you download disney mobile magic, powered by verizon. conditioning repairmen we called during the brutal heat wave that struck parts of this country for an undercover test. do you really get what you pay for? coming up, the results that caught even our experts by surprise. it's now 7:30 on a tuesday morning inside studio 1a. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie. >> good morning, everybody. also ahead this morning, new details on what may have led two chimpanzee at a sanctuary in south africa to attack a texas graduate student. we're going to have the latest on that story. new images of one of the chimps involved thain attack.

then "today's" professionals are in the house. among the topics we're going to be talking about we already know airlines charge extra fees for baggage, meals, even extra leg room. how would you feel about paying a fee that would let you get off the plane faster when you arrive at the terminal? we'll talk about this and many other topics. let's begin the half hour with attempted murder trial of a florida teenager accused of viciously attacking a younger girl. prosecutors say it was all because of text messages. nbc's kerry sanders in fort lauderdale this morning. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. wayne traceacy confessed he putn steele toed boots and tracked down ratley and attacked her, an attack so vicious it left her with brain damage. his lawyers claim he's not guilty because he was in sane.

wayne treacy sat in court crying as prosecutors say he continued to kick the victim's head wearing steel toed boots. >> he kicked her head like a soccer ball. >> reporter: the attack so vicious he left her brain damaged. her mother overwhelmed in court. the defense said he snapped after a series of tech messages with ratley. in one of the messages ratley taunted him about his brother who committed suicide five months earlier. treacy discovered his brother's body hanging from a tree. >> wayne with a mental infirmity did not know right from wrong at the time. >> in court teenagers read aallowed treacy's text messages. >> he tried to kill someone.

>> reporter: defense lawyers say doctors for the defense and the state agree treacy suffered ptsd, posttraumatic stress disorder. the defense claims that is what triggered an attack on a girl he didn't even know. >> the issue is why, why did this happen. i'm hopeful that after the evidence that you'll return a verdict of not guilty by reason of in sanity. >> one key piece may not be played to the jury. this video of treacy ranting to himself left in the interrogation room. his lawyers say treacy's bizarre behaviors are at the heart of the defense. he was insane. at the last minute monday the prosecution dropped a bombshell saying they had no intention of playing the video in court. under court rules the defense cannot refer to the tape unless the prosecutor introduces it first.

the judge says he's now considering if there is another way that the jurors will be able to see that videotape, because it's so critical to the defense strategy. if wayne treacy is convicted, he could face up to 50 years in prison. as for josie ratley, her lawyers tell us she is improving but still in rehabilitation, able to draw pictures, something she enjoyed doing before this life changing event. matt. >> all right. kerry sanders in florida this morning. kerry, thank you very much. let us get a check of the weather now from mr. roker. >> all right. thanks so much, matt. spam. spam sausages. eggs and spam. love spam. let's show you what's going on. spam, spam, spam. rockies in the southwest. look at this. death valley, 7 degrees above normal, 124, 100 in salt lake, 7 degrees above normal.

boise, idaho at 102. hotter in boise than it is in phoenix. rest of the country, heat in the southwest and southeast as well. into the mid plains. we're looking at nice cooler conditions in the northeast and atlantic states. 100s in the central plains are s >> good morning. a nice morning. no rain this morning. most of the rain is south of us. that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks. we're getting a new look at one

of the south african chimpanzee that attacked a graduate student from texas, this as the victim recovers from his injuries. michelle kosinski in london for us this morning. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: we haven't heard much on the grad student's condition. his parents asked for privacy. now experts are giving more details on why this might have happened and showing pictures from the operating room of the chimp that attacked him. american student andrew oberle severely mauled by two chimpanzees wasn't the only patient rushed to johannesburg's top medical center, so was one of his attackers, nicky, the chimp. 17 years old, recovering from being shot in the stomach as he charged rescuers trying to save andrew. the team of trauma surgeons operated on nicky four hours with a veterinarian. he's resting at a zoo on valium. the head of the jane goodall

institute described nicky second in command to alpha chimp. he turned when he went into a restricted area in an enclosure to remove a rock, worried he might throw it. it was territorial behavior and the chimp's traumatic early life. both lost their parents to the illegal bush meat trade. nicky was raised like a human child. when he arrived at the institute was dressed like a little boy with a luxury wristwatch. the director told the press this negatively affected the chimp. expert stephen roth in chicago agrees. >> many chimps not only in african sanctuaries but north american sanctuaries had strange upbringings. sometimes raised as a pet, dressed up as a child and fed human food. it's really difficult to know the degree to which this upbringing has affected the

chimpanzees psychology. >> reporter: 26-year-old oberle, a post grad at the university of texas san antonio slowly recovering. witnesses say he lost an ear, fingers and toes, flesh and muscle and has deep gashes including on his face and skull. the facebook page set up to help him describes him as fight to come home. people have photos, announce add fund-raiser this week call this a tragic story when passion for what you love turns against you. last we heard from andrew oberle's parents was four days ago. they release add statement saying he's still in critical but stable condition and saying it's truly a miracle he survived this brutal attack. savannah. >> michelle kosinski, thank you. still ahead, can you really lose weight by skipping breakfast and taking cold baths? we're going to meet the man behind the controversial diet book six weeks to omg. up next when your air conditioning breaks, what are you really getting when you call a repairman?

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summer. but are some air conditioning repairmen actually taking advantage? today national investigative correspondent jeff rossen and his team went under cover to find out. jeff, what did you find? >> matt, good morning. i'm not sure you heard this, there's been a heat wave this morning. it's been pretty hot. we've all been feeling it. so when your air conditioner breaks it's an emergency. you call the ac company trusting them to fix the problem at a fair price. are they really? we're at it again testing those companies on hidden camera. experts say some are blowing hot air when they hand you that big bill. we called them in to cool our house down. >> i just want to fix the problem today. >> reporter: but when these ac repairmen show up -- our experts say this is dishonesty or in competence. >> things got heated. >> get out of my face or i'll punch [ bleep ]. >> we just wanted our ac fixed. >> did you test to see if that part was working.

>> leave me alone. >> why did it have to end like this? >> don't hit the camera. >> one after another tried charging us big money for repairs experts say we did not need. >> you say you have to fix a time delay. there's not a time delay in the unit. >> shut off the camera. >> we set up hidden cameras right smack in the middle of a heat wave. we rented this house in new jersey and had three certified ac experts inspect our system from top to bottom. >> they are in very, very good shape. >> excellent shape. good working condition. it's perfect. >> then we brought in bobby ring, president of a top ac company and senior vice chair of the senior air conditioning of america. he set up what he says is a common and easy to fix problem. a simple broken wire that shuts the unit down. he says he would charge less than $200 to fix it. >> so a technician tells us you need other work done to fix this

problem. >> they are either incompetent or dishonest. >> we wired the house with hidden cameras to capture every angle and had this mom pose as the homeowner. >> hi, i'm having trouble with my air conditioning unit. >> we had her call six companies to fix the ac. >> come on in, guys. so glad you could come. >> as contractors showed up we're watching with the experts from a control room in the basement. >> hot air. >> good news, the first contractor finds our broken wire. but instead of fixing it, he wants to charge us for an expensive part, something called a capacitor. >> i would need a new capacitor. >> either incompetent or trying to deceive her. nothing wrong with the capacitor. >> this guy want to replace it anyway. the price, $395. >> hi, jeff rossen with nbc news. i asked for an explanation. do you want to stand by the story the capacitor is broken or

do you want to tell us yourself you're not being truthful. >> check it out. >> one of the experts showed him the real problem fixing the broken wire and turning the machine on in seconds. no broken capacitor here. >> do you stand behind your estimate of nearly $400? his company didn't return our calls for comment. >> blowing warm air. >> the next guy finds and fixes our broken wire quickly. look, the unit is working, fan is turning. why does he tell the mom to fix it he needs to replace a pricey part. >> leaking. >> leaking. >> combustible fluid. >> that's leaking. and that has to be fixed today. >> yes. >> to fix the problem. >> yes. >> sounds serious. so is his bill, $692. >> is this a rip-off? it certainly looks that way. hi, jeff rossen with nbc news. did you actually test the part you replaced before you replaced it. >> yes. >> actually we were wafg tching

hidden camera and you didn't. >> what he said was a leak was just hidden rot and it's fine. >> are you taking advantage of these homeowners. >> absolutely not. >> in a statement the company owners say his employees follow a code of ethics. i stand behind my technician who presented the problem correctly and made a recommendation based on visual concerns. if for some reason he did not foow our process, he will be dealt with accordingly. but watch our next two appointments. they shock even our experts. this first company tries to charge our mom for several new parts. the price tag, $850. and they weren't happy to see me. >> you're charging her $850 for -- >> get that camera out of my face or i'll punch you [ bleep ]. >> pardon? >> you heard me. >> you're going to punch me in my jaw? >> why are you going to charge her. >> don't push us. don't hit the camera. the experts we had check this unit say the capacitor is fine,

contacters are fine. why were you going to charge her $850 to replace this? >> i don't think they are fine. >> his company didn't return our calls for comment. we thought we'd seen it all but watch these next guys hotel our mom she needs new part, including one that doesn't even exist in our unit. the price, an incredible $950. >> is there anything you want to say? our experts say this is either dishonesty or incompetence. how do you respond to that? how do you respond to that? you just wanted to charge $9350 to fix a nonproblem. he stuck by his storytelling us the unit needs new parts to work. we know that's not true. >> don't you want to stick around to watch our expert fix the problem. his company said he was fired. >> have a nice day. >> you have a nice day as well. in the end the results weren't

good. experts say six out of six air conditioning companies, every one we called, tried to charge us for unnecessary repairs. >> jeff, i'm really disappointed. i didn't expect to see the degree of dishonesty and incompetency we did. >> experts say you should get your unit serviced every year so it doesn't break in the middle of a heat wave. even if it does, of course, despite what we found there are honest ac companies out there. to make it easier to find them we put a list of organizations so you can find one in your area. all have you to do is go to today.com, click on the rossen report section. while you're there, you can send us an idea for a story you'd like investigated as well. >> jeff rossen. enjoy your time in the witness protection program. up next, who should play christian grey in the movie version of the books "50 shades of grey" right after this. ch ili'

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kilmer's lips. >> based on that sketch, who should play this guy in the movie version which is coming to a theater next year. >> i read all the books and i don't see the composite looking like the guy. chris hemsworth, chris pine. alexander. >> i love ryan reynolds. he's too sweet for this role. >> ryan gosling. >> i thought he has enough edge. >> i'm going for a dark horse candidate like shia labeouf from the terminator. >> i've got one. take a shot at davie here. wow, davie. >> i've got to tell you i'm never going to look at dave the same way again. >> gilbert godfrey. i got a block and tackle.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> rough ride for motorists. northbound 895, all lanes are shut down due to an accident in the northbound direction. take 95 for the keybridge as your alternate. looking at a slow down from 795 towards security. at security, an accident clearing from the right shoulder. inner loop from the beltway past 95 towards philadelphia road. accident is wrapping up.

95 at southbound still slow out of white marsh. pretend past the beltway, we have a closure on the right lane due to an accident. shut down in the area of free town road due to a crash. quick live look at traffic. we will update you on 895, a standstill in the northbound direction. let's switch over to a live view of traffic at security. you can see the accident on the right shoulder on the outer loop. looking at delays back to 795. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the sun is out this morning. beautiful morning, blue skies. 76 degrees at the airport. we have a light north wind at 3 miles per hour. standard shower activity south of us -- scattered shower

activity south of us. 82 to 87 the high. 82 to 87 the high. dry forecast until

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8:00 now on tuesday morning. it's the 10th of july, 2012. we have a great crowd enjoying great weather here on rockefeller plaza, 76 degrees. al was just getting his proper placement. good morning, everybody. i'm savannah guthrie alongside the aforementioned al roker and matt lauer. it's a beautiful morning, tuesday morning. "today's" professionals are here. >> that's right. they are here. we've got great topics for donny, star, dr. snyderman. thousands of micro apartments taking care of housing shortage for people on a budget.

talking about apartments between 200 and 300 square feet. just to give you an idea, that is between this area here over here and here. that would be the entire apartment, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, massive walk-in closet. >> i was going to say, where are you going to put your clothes and makeup. >> we're going to talk about whether people can live like that. >> have you heard about the new diet? a little controversial. some things they recommend skipping brefrs, two cups of coffee on an empty stomach. cold baths. does it work or is it pseudoscience? we'll ask him. he's here. >> also, savannah, the need for speed. tomorrow she's going to fulfill that need. >> oh, my gosh. >> none other than with her brother who is the pilot,

supersonic jet. >> that was like a prayer i'm offering there. that's my big brother, i'm so proud of him. he's an f-16 pilot with the air national guard. >> green mountain boys. >> for a day i was a green mountain girl. >> that's cool. he gets to take out all of those frustrations from childhood on you. >> he's my big brother. he's been tore touring me all my life. believe me, he did not give me the grandma ride. >> look forward to that tomorrow. meanwhile let's head inside. natalie standing by with a check of the headlines. natalie. >> good morning, everyone. dramatic new storm video left officials amazed nobody was killed when a micro burst struck a strip mall sunday in fredericksberg, virginia. a security guard recorded the swirling winds at two dozen students and parents huddled inside a nearby dance studio. at least six were injured. the worst suffered a broken leg. president obama traveled to iowa today to push for extending

bush era tax cuts for lower and middle income americans. republican mitt romney wants to extend the cuts for all income levels. he says monday the obama plan would hurt job creation. attorneys for tom cruise and katie holmes announced monday the couple signed an agreement to end their five-year marriage. holmes will reportedly have primary custody of the couple's 6-year-old daughter suri with generous visitation rights for cruise. the florida lifeguard fired for saving a man outside his area. he was awarded a key to the city. the 19-year-old hero has since been offered his job back but he turned it down. he's now heading back to school at a local community college. now a look at what is trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. singer frank ocean on late night with jimmy fallen topped trending on twitter. ocean recently came out as gay

saying "bad religion" a love ballad is about another man. ♪ never make him love me ♪ >> ocean's new album "channel orange" dropped at midnight and is already number one on itunes. 65 years after reports of an alien spaceship being captured in roswell, new mexico, a former cia agent said it happened. chase brandon said he saw the secret file at cia headquarters and was convinced the roswell craft did not come from this planet. he was convinced paparazzi were chasing him as he drove his car on the freeway. >> hello. i have like five cars following me. >> okay. and what's your name?

>> justin. >> what's your last name? >> johnson. >> okay. what type of car are you in? >> i'm in a fisker. >> a what? >> a fisker, f-i-s-k-e-r. >> what kind of car is that? >> it's a fisker. >> well, the fisker is an electric sports car that sells for about $100,000. it is 8:05 right now, let's go back outside with al, a check of the weather. justin johnson now, no longer the biebs. >> you can call me justin or you can call me justin. anyway, let's show you what's going on as far as your weather today. it concerns our pick city of the day, wichita falls, texas, kfdx, nbc 3, showers, storms, temperatures getting up into the mid-90s. on the satellite you can see -- and radar we've got a lot of wet weather. gulf coast, texas, florida, mid-atlantic states, stationary

front just hangs there. slight risk of strong storms. one to three inches of rain from texas into north carolina. record highs in the northern plains. gorgeous day in seattle today. plenty of sunshine and >> good morning. this is what looked like at sunrise. a nice start to the day. a mixture of sun and clouds. >> and that's your latest weather. here is savannah. >> all right, al. thank you. coming up, should you be able to pay to be the first passengers off the plane? we'll discuss that and other hot

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we're back now at 8:10 with "today's" professionals, here to chime in on the hottest headlines of the morning. good morning to everybody. good to see you. let's start with a story that's in the papers today. denise rich, who is a very popular songwriter, a grammy winner, a socialite, a philanthropist and major democratic fund-raiser is apparently giving up her u.s. citizenship. she'll retain her austrian citizenship because her father was born in austria. according to a lot of reports, the reasons she's doing this is to save millions of dollars in taxes in the united states.

star, i know this story puts you in an odd position because you and denise rich are good friends. >> she's more like my sister. >> what do we think about what she's doing? do you want to start? >> obviously i've spoken to her about this. i can't tell you anything legal, but i can say to you she wants to be closer to her surviving children. you know she lost one of her daughters to cancer in her 20s. >> why can't you do that without changing citizenship. >> her kids now live in europe. her children now live in europe and she does not primarily make her home in the united states anymore. >> you don't think she's doing this for tax reasons at all to save money. >> i think that's a by-product, that works but i know that's not the main reason. >> what do we think? be careful, it's star's friend. >> i don't want to be careful. you have to call out your friend. this is despicable. i have not but contempt trying to save taxes. it's crap.

>> it's one of my assets. that's now how she feels about it. >> star, she's your friend and i respect that. let's call it as it is. i agree with nancy. i even agree with the word despicable. can i finish? we are a country that is at class warfare now. >> absolutely. >> this is the kind of thing if i'm home watching. i go screw you, get out of my country. >> let's add one other element. let's remind people it was an american president, bill clinton -- again, she's a very big democratic fund-raiser -- it was an american president bill clinton who pardoned her husband marc. >> major error an his part. >> when he was on the run for tax evasion. this country and its leaders have been very good to her. >> she's also been very good to the country. i'm not going to let you call somebody i love who has been supportive of me and i've been supportive of despicable. she's not a despicable person. >> what she did was despicable.

>> that might be your opinion but you cannot call her despicable. >> what she did was despicable. >> i call her despicable. >> let's move on. a company that created controversy in the past with provocative ads featuring young adults in controversial poses, some nudity, they are out with a new ad. i'm going to show you the picture. i want your first reaction. nancy, i'll start with you. here is the picture. this is an older woman named jackie discovered on the streets of new york. there's the pose they put her in. >> i'm glad it's not my mother. i don't know. look, it's controversial. i don't think -- i thought it would be more glamorous. >> donny, you're an ad man, what do you think of the ad. >> i did a campaign for a magazine for women over 40. we did seminudes. the allot of magazines wouldn't accept it because they were older. this company is stupid. they did it for attention.

i don't think it sells products. >> it's a gorgeous woman under there. i would like to see her. >> i could live my whole life without seeing a multi-colored who haw. >> they used young models in provocative ads now they are expanding. >> they did it for one reason, get attention. >> it's tacky. let's move onto something in the papers. new york's mayor michael bloomberg addressing the housing crisis in the city, especially for single people living on a budget is calling on architects and real estate developers to develop something called micro apartments. we have an outline on the floor here in our studio. these are apartments that will be between 250 and 300 square feet. that is this space right here for a kitchen, a bathroom, a sleep area. got to have a closet or two. can you live in something like that? >> i think it's a wonderful idea because it gives the greatest city in the world -- makes access to new york for people who ordinarily can't afford it.

there is a young engineer out there who maybe can come to the city and create a great new technology that now can. i think it's wonderful. >> i agree. if you're a young person, you can figure out how to stack things, have a bed that doesn't have to be a regular old twin bed. i as a single person in my 20s could live in a space this big. your shoes won't fit into this. >> my wig won't fit into it. this is the size of like a hotel room. >> a small hotel room. >> a small hotel room. >> this would look a lot smaller. >> could i live like that, yeah, if i had to. i grew up in a housing project. >> what do you expect to pay for a spaces like this? they are projecting they will go for just under $2,000 a month. >> now that's despicable. >> i thought you were going to say $800 to $1,000. >> every young person would love to have an apartment like this. >> $1200. >> not for $2,000. >> this caught my eye. we talked about fees airlines

charging for extra baggage, meals, leg room, changing a reservation. well, nobody is proposing this. but a survey was taken by airfare watchdog.com. they asked the question, would you pay an extra fee to get off the plane faster once you arrive after a trip at the terminal. would you guys pay that fee? >> i think it's a terrible idea. go back to class warfare. bow, you're setting up fist fights on the plane. i think we are enough of a divided society that even if it's waiting another minute or two -- >> i would do it. >> ten, twenty bucks. >> the problem is, i think that means you get row eight, nine, ten instead of forty. i would pay an extra ten to get off faster. >> unless i have a connection, i don't need to get off the plane. >> been on six hours, the kid behind you kicking your seat, you wouldn't pay ten bucks to get out of the plane. >> we have enough haves and have nots. >> if ten dollars identifies one

person or another a different class and signifies class warfare we're in trouble. >> fist fights. okay. priority exit. can you get off, the other people would stand up and block you in the aisle. >> i'd pay ten dollars for someone not to talk. >> airlines not proposing it but discussed by travelers. >> thank you. back in a moment, coming up, a controversial new diet book that has people talking. the man behind "six weeks to omg." that's right after this. and you are me if you want it, you just got to believe. weight watchers i believe strength [ jennifer ] confidence beautiful amazing [ emily ] this goes way beyond happiness weight watchers i believe. because it works. [ female announcer ] weight watchers -- rated number one best plan for weight loss by u.s. news and world report, again. [ jennifer ] join for $1. weight watchers. believe. because it works. [ jennifer ] join for $1. mid grade dark roast

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it's your teenager's first varsity game. it isn't just your annual exam. it's your daughter's wedding. did you know with your health insurance you may now have some preventive benefits with no co-pays or out-of-pocket costs? it isn't just your cholesterol screening. it's all the tomorrows you're looking forward to. learn more at healthcare.gov. the omg diet. a controversial new weight loss book making the rounds with promises of losing 20 pounds in six weeks. we're going to talk to the author in a moment. first, is this legitimate or a fad diet? you be the judge. >> open your mouth as wide as you can. >> eyebrow raising exercise

machines and questionable diet plans. >> i don't eat anything. when i feel like i'm about to faint -- >> have been around for years. a new diet plan has popped up across the pond. "six weeks to omg." get skinnier than all your friends is a new diet book written by fulton, actualitily not his real name. 39-year-old decided to write under a pen name because of his other career, acting. he also works as a personal trainer in london and holds a degree in sports science. he says he's found the secret to staying fit. no breakfast, no snacks, two cups of coffee and cold baths. pseudoscience? >> we know that people who eat breakfast have a much easier time at losing weight because it regulates your appetite and also revs your metabolism in the morning. >> or success story, natalie

smith of salisbury england has lost 15 pounds in seven weeks on omg. >> i'll continue doing it. because for me it works. >> she's even tried more of the unusual recommendations. british press linked the title of the book to the popular tv series, "the only way to essex." a "jersey shore"-like reality show in which competitive dieting is featured among cast members, causing some to worry the diet targets a teen audience. >> it's definitely marketing to a younger population. that can be concerning because they are vulnerable. they are desperate to lose weight. >> he denies targeting teenagers or having any connection to the reality show. well, pl who writes under a pen name is the author of "six weeks to omg." get skinnier than all your friends. good morning. >> let's get right to it.

a lot of people hear about this and think this is junk science. >> if they call it junk science they are saying scientists behind it are junk. research, mayo clinic, all these great names. this is real stuff. >> what about the criticism that you're really targeting young girls. the title of the book "six weeks to omg." first paragraph says your parents think you shouldn't read this book. >> not targeting anyone except those that want to lose fat. there's weight problems in society. two out of three of us are heavier than we need to be. >> let's talk about unusual techniques. dip right into this one. what does it do. >> when your body gets in a cold bath, it hates that, ramps up metabolism to keep you warm. just like turning up thermostat, those calories have to be from somewhere. >> how cold does it have to be.

>> 68, 59, 15 minutes, 10 minutes. >> our experts say it does help metabolize, maybe not as much as you say. >> another recommendation. here is breakfast, don't eat it. >> you stop your body burning the ultimate breakfast cereal, body fat. skipping breakfast is not skipping, it's delaying it a few hours. it uses a lot of energy. >> studies show people that eat breakfast do better on diets. >> they have proven nothing at all. they show some that skip breakfast eat it later, definitely burn body fat to delay it. >> drink coffee. >> no sugar, no milk. teaches body fat cells to open up content and pour fat in bloodstream you can use as a fuel. >> you don't worry about somebody irritating their stomach drinking coffee. >> the great thing, you don't

have to do everything, just pick and choose what you like. >> choosing carbs, broccoli or can of coke. experts say, no. these have nutrients, this is empty calories. >> for some people it's the total amount of carbs that make the critical difference. certainly keep eating broccoli, it's fine. >> here is a recommendation our experts agree with. this is about how much you should have in the way of carbs, four iphones. >> i chose four iphones, everybody has a phone, or small phone. this is a way to remember it. >> what's with the pen name. >> it's a pen name. i didn't want anyone to say man or woman. i wanted everyone to be excited about their health. >> thank you very much. "six weeks to omg." thanks. you'll be back with hoda and kathie lee later. ahead the olympic games, venus williams on the plaza. coming up.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's check on the morning commute with the latest. northbound traffic is stopped at the steel bridge. due to a. watch for an accident clearing on the west side outer loop. majorlook at 895, showing delays due to. the northbound. lingering delays on the west side all the way to 795. john, let's look at the weather. >> you can see by those traffic cameras that the sun is shining in the baltimore area, but when

you go south, there are clouds. that should be the trend during the day. a crane to the south, and the farther north towards the pennsylvania line, greater share of sunshine. there is the stalled front to the south. next one down two hours southwest. it will bring some rain chances again to southern maryland. generally south of the annapolis area to the lower eastern shore. farther north, the greater the chance you avoid the rain. 76 degrees is the reading right now at b.w.i. marshall. 79% humidity. that number continues to fall. barometer is rising. sunshine and clouds is the general forecast today. thundershowers kind of isolated, mostly south of us today. east and northeast winds at 5 to 10 miles per hour.

closer to 90 by the weekend. >> thank you for joining us. we will have another update at 8:56.

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♪ >> 8:30 on tuesday morning, it's the 10th day of july. it's a beautiful day here in new york city. hopefully this weather continues into tomorrow when we'll have the zac brown band in concert on our plaza in our 8:30 half hour. if you're coming down for that, don't forget to bring a sign. the guys in the band will pick their favorite sign. the person who has created that sign will get free tickets to an

upcoming concert, which is always nice. out on the plaza i'm matt lauer with savannah guthrie, natalie morales and al roker. >> coming up, sigourney weaver is here. she has a new role on a u.s. network drama, a former first lady turned secretary of state. where have we heard that before? we'll ask her how she came up with the role and if she likes it. >> just 16 years old, shawn johnson, captured our hearts but an injury forced her to retire from gymnastics. she won't be going to the olympics. coming up she'll open up about writing a book and going to the competition. a nice book, a lot of spiritual advice. >> mr. mark bitman is here. he's got a great look at kabobs.

>> i mentioned zac brown band, i meant friday. venus williams, wimbledon last week, about to represent the united states in london at the olympics. first of all, congratulations. your fifth doubles title to go with your singles title. not bad. how did it feel? >> amazing. serena and i hadn't played doubles in two years. that was our first tournament. to actually win the title was amazing. we fought some tough matches to be there. so awesome. >> so cute after serena won the singles title, her fifth title to match your five. she said, sorry, venus, i have to have everything my big sister has. >> but i'm wearing her shoes today. >> you've also been dealing with an autoimmune disease.

how has that affected your training and preparing for the olympics? >> it honestly affects my whole life. it's been a huge transition for me. i've learned so much, still learning so much. it's about being positive. i've changed my lifestyle, a raw vegan, lots of juicing. i do lots of juicing, jamba juice, wheat grass has become my best friend twice a day. sometimes, you know, sometimes i cheat. i'm not perfect. i forgive myself and get back on the wagon. >> you're going to be going to your fourth olympics, which will make you the first u.s. tennis player to play in four olympics. what does that mean to you? >> it's amazing. my whole dream, beyond my dream, my dream of winning wimbledon. but to be there and win for your country, gold medal, it's unbelievable. >> you've got to be the team to beat in doubles. you just played the court in

wimbledon, you're going back to that court. i wouldn't want to be the team to play venus and serena. good luck. will we see you over there. we'll be there for a while? >> we'll be there. we did an interview together in 2000, the first time. i'd love if we can do that again. hopefully we can bring medals back. the whole experience of winning and being an olympian, not about winning per se. if you can do that, that's icing on the cake. hopefully we can do that. >> congratulations. >> congratulations. great to have you here. >> mr. roker, how about a check of the weather. >> all right. see what we've got for you. for today we are looking at a risk of strong storms in the southeast. we also have wet weather into texas. beautiful day in the pacific northwest. record highs in the plains. tomorrow morning heavy rain continues through the gulf coast, southeast, mid-atlantic states. hot sizzling weather in the southwest. gorgeous day again in the pacific northwest. that's what go >> good morning.

a nice morning. no rain this morning. most of the rain is south of us. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, mr. oaker. let's say hi to one of the worst guys on television. i mean that as a compliment. he plays a high school chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin on breaking bad. he does it brilliantly. nice to see you. >> good to see you. >> welcome back. >> the hollywood reporter called this character tony soprano -- makes tony soprano look like mr. rogers. how much darker can you make

this guy? >> we can go darker and darker, i think. >> really? >> yeah, i think so. i think every human being, all these people out here, all of them are capable -- >> especially her. >> especially her. and this little one. is capable of being really dangerous given the right set of circumstances. i'm serious. you're looking at me dubiously. i'm telling you in doing this show i realized how dark the pendulum can swing. >> it starts out he's a nice guy, a regular guy. he's kind of forced by circumstance into this life of crime. now he's in it for what, the sheer joy of it? >> something wrong with that? no, it's true. he has been seduced by what was possible in this new life, which was impossible in his other life. the fact talking about avarice and being greedy is not possible with someone that's four. he hasn't experienced any of

those seductions as a man. intimidating powers are very seductive for men. >> we're scared about the next season. >> is it true your wife won't watch this show. >> she won't watch it. she won't watch it but not at knife. >> a movie in the future, a version of this. would you do a movie? >> i would. that's a good point. >> assuming you live. >> i don't know how it's going to end up. >> congratulations. we want to mention you can carpet season premier of "breaking bad." check it out, it's amazing. up next sigourney weaver talk [ male announcer ] now at your neighborhood subway: the new santa fe steak melts. get extra grande flavor

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nominated actress sigourney weaver she makes her television debut in "political animals"

playing secretary of state. the pressure of balancing her personal life and career sometimes becomes too pruch. >> forget the press conference. we'll draw a line. >> you could have gotten yourself fired for that kind of behavior in front of the president. he's not just a boss. he's not your floor manager at chili's, he is the president of the united states. whether or not this administration is trading on my popularity is not what matters now. all that matters now are the three scared, innocent people sitting in a jail cell in tehran wondering what their country is doing to help them. are we clear? >> sigourney weaver, good morning to you. >> good morning. how are you? >> your first television series. what made you take this lead? >> the series is about this political family that was in the white house and sort of wants to get back in there again. it's so delicious and juicy. i don't know. i haven't ever been offered

material that's like this, you know. a very gifted politician with a strong moral compass. she brings the right kind of leadership to washington, which is part of the appeal to me, because i think more women should run. she's also the matriarch of a very vivid, dysfunctional family. we have such a wonderful cast. in the hands of our creator, the scripts are just -- i would have to say it's like after a couple of years of eating salad, suddenly to get a big juicy steak. it's really been great. >> a lot of people may recognize some contours of this character. shall we say your character is a former first lady, a former presidential candidate, and a current secretary of state. >> that's where the comparison ends. >> okay. some people are going to think is this supposed to be hillary clinton. >> certainly, you know, we are

inspired by mrs. clinton, who is such a remarkable woman and a great secretary of state. she was a great senator for new york state. but it's also inspired by different families who have been in the white house, who want to get back in. there's an idea in spite of how brilliant and talented these people are, being in the white house kind of -- you pay a price for that. it sort of becomes part of your system and you have to get back in there again. it is a tribute to politicians like mrs. clinton, but it's both sides. it's the light and the dark. >> i know a lot of reporters say to you that you are known for playing strong women. but you look at it a little bit differently? >> you know, i feel women are strong. look at you, you're my height, 6' tall practically. i'm surrounded by women in my life and in the world who have jobs, who take care of their families, who support their

communicates, who champion causes. there's so much we do. i've always felt if you really want to get something done, you ask a mother to do it. so i feel like that's the kind of energy i feel washington needs. i think part of my desire to do this show was to show what that kind of women's energy can do in washington, which is kind of stuck. >> you have had so many great memorable, unforgettable roles. is there one in particular you hold closest to you that you love the most? >> right now i have to say it's elaine. usually i'm playing people who i have to say in a nice way are quite eccentric or they have been put on the periphery for some reason. this the first character i've ever played who is so in the mainstream. you could say she was like the perfect girl scout who grew up to be this woman with a great passion to serve the public. and so it's been wonderful to play that, because that's actually not an easy thing for

me to do. >> you make it look easy all the time. sigourney weaver, it's wonderful to meet you. >> nice to meet you, too. >> remind everybody "political animals" premiers this sunday, 10:00, 9:00 central time on our sister network usa. coming up, shawn johnson, her decision to retire from bac

silver winning medalist shawn johnson. she took home had an impressive haul in 2008. she became the youngest winner on "dancing with the stars." she is out with her first book called "winning balance." shawn johnson, good to have you here. how are you doing? >> i'm doing good. >> this book is beautifully written. there's a lot of life lessons throughout the book and inspirations. why did you want to write this,

that point of view? >> i feel like throughout my career, people covered my story from their point of view, what they saw. through my journey, i've kept diaries and journals. i wanted to take that vulnerable side and really connect with people and let them know what i was really thinking through it all. i feel like it made it a little more human. >> going through all you've been through at just 20 years old. what is so far the greatest life lesson you think you've learned? >> i think the greatest life lesson as far as not defining your worth by a medal or by a color of ribbon that you're wearing. you know, throughout the olympics, i got the silver and couldn't have want thad silver any more. i feel like the gold wouldn't have meant as much to me. i had to find that worth. going through everything. you have to find pride and success in yourself. >> that's a great message. in 2008, i was struck by reading your book how much pressure you were under. you're in a foreign country. you're away from your family for much of it, not able to see

them. there's also this somewhat rivalry portrayed in the media with you and nastia liukin, although you were good friends. she won the all around gold, you won the silver. were you disappointed? do you feel like you didn't get exactly what you went there for? >> not at all. i wouldn't take anything back. i wouldn't change anything. when we walk into that arena, we're wearing red, white, and blue, representing usa. i had to be proud and happy. she's a friend of mine. seeing her on the podium with a gold medal i couldn't have been more proud of her and more proud of myself getting the silver. >> did that make it harder, the pressure there was this portrayed rivalry between the two of you. >> it pushed both of us to work harder. we wanted to beat each other sour out. we were the toughest competitors. being there, wearing the flag, we wanted first and second. it didn't really matter who came on top or not. >> you recently announced you

retired from gymnastics. that must be a hard choice and hard decision to make. >> it was incredibly hard. gymnastics has been in my life since i was three years old. shutting the door to that career of mine was difficult. i've accepted it. the transition has been pretty easy. i've been really busy traveling and seeing the work of it. i'll be in london cheering on the williams sisters. >> i know one you're cheering on gabby douglas, she trained at the gym you trained at in iowa. how excited are you for her? she's so young. she's got everything going for her going into this. >> i'm so excited for her. she's like a little sister to me. she came to our gym two years ago. just to see the progress she's made came out of the olympic trials winning the competition. >> emotional seeing her. >> makes me so proud. because of of our trainer, knowing him and representing the

work i couldn't be more proud. >> the prediction, 2012 team, what do you think? >> i think we'll be the team to beat. they are strong. very young but the strongest i've seen. >> shawn johnson, always great to have you here. here is a book so many people will take away great pieces of advice. call "winning balance" shawn johnson. thanks so much. coming up next kebabs made easy. first this is "today" on nbc. co.

this morning we're grilling kebabs with "new york times" columnist mark bittman, an author. bob is popular in my house. i have young kids. they love it, love to grill. put food on a stick and they love it. >> the stick thing works for everybody. the idea here, nobody is going to do it quite like this at home. the idea is to show you you can put almost anything on a stick. if you put out a bunch of things, people can make their own. >> you've got the basics, meat, sausage, pork, beef, chicken. here a little unusual. >> tofu, bread. bread grills beautifully, tofu also. scallops. >> let's talk about building a

kebab, wood skewers are medal. >> i like to use two skewers because it makes -- if we can look at this over here, with one skewer, if you turn it, the food will slip. with two, it's much easier to flip. fine points. >> choose a basic, choose a fundamental. i'm going to go with chicken. >> once i start grilling it becomes sausage season for me. >> a couple of pieces of chicken. do you have to alternate. >> you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. you know, i like -- you can see from these i like a wide variety of things. we have pineapple here, watermelon and mango. mushrooms obviously. the more unusual things like you can grill radicchio, pearl onions, shallots. it's really what you like. can you do it by color, your

favorite stuff, by taste. it just doesn't matter that much. >> okay, fine. put a little vegetable on here. >> not too much. be careful. >> what about marinating this. >> marinating is another thing that's kind of a fine point. people think if you marinate for hours things are better. but in fact a good 15 minutes of marinating is enough to flavor. about the amount of time it takes to build your fire. >> if you're using beef and fish, you use different mar natures. >> this is soy and sesame, i think that works for everything. chili oil. good as marinade and things to brush on while you're grilling and after grilling. >> you're using an indoor grill. >> the idea is this is an outdoor thing, absolutely. >> after you've assembled your skewers, you're going to put these on the grill. because the pieces are smaller, does that mean it cooks faster?

>> smaller pieces cook faster. for most people that's a fairly big size, big piece of beef. i think bigger is a little bit better because you don't want things to cook through before they brown. you want a nice browning on them and stay moist on the inside. >> okay. all right. >> look, we have visitors. >> there we go. >> interlopers. >> beef, chicken. >> make you a jalapeno skewer. >> you put these together just as they are cooking. >> do it advance. i'm not saying you can't marinate for a while but i'm saying 15, 20 minutes are enough. >> what about vegetables and meat cooking time. >> you have to assume that it's going to work, and it will. >> a great rule. >> assume it will work.

>> how about praying. >> mark, thank you very much. coming up next, joy bauer answers your questions about caffeine. that's after your local news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. fire officials are trying to determine what caused an early- morning fire in east baltimore. police arrived in linwood ave after 4:00 this morning when they found heavy smoke pouring from his home.

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